Camouflage
by seaofsound
Summary: Maybe companionship isn't so bad, if he could feel these things and still be alive. — Kurt. For Regardless1604's 100 Themes Challenge.
1. Cool Craftsman

**Heyo. I decided to try HarvestMoonAddict/Regardless1604's** **100 Theme Challenge surrounding Kurt. Kurt's from Save the Homeland, Magical Melody, and Hero of Leaf Valley and is one of my all-time favorite HM characters. So here it is.**

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><p>I. Introduction<p>

_"A quiet and unfriendly apprentice unlike his brother. But he's actually quite passionate and poetic."_

A cool craftsman. A distant young man who appreciates silence more than anything. Kurt doesn't talk much, but that's okay because that means more silence without having to hear his own voice. He prefers to do his work in silence, but of course Joe never let him with his constant nonsensical hum of chatter. There were rarely ever customers at the workshop, and for that he was thankful.

Kurt is curt, a pun commonly placed by his brother Joe. But Joe knows that inside, he cares.

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><p><strong>I'm not very proud of this one...I was always bad at introductions. Anyway, that's pretty much it.<strong>


	2. River

**I don't own anything.**

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><p>II. River<p>

"Rivers are places of loss," Dia said, "There's nothing positive that comes out of them."

Kurt watched as the river moved steadily toward the ocean, unblinking. Rivers are places where lovers meet, people bury the dead, wishes are made.

"They're not that bad, Dia. Some good has to come out of them," he stated quietly, looking toward the sunset. He subtly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Why do you suppose that is?" she questioned, turning toward him.

"Because..." he paused, "I'm standing here with you, aren't I? And I do believe that's a good thing."


	3. Farm

III. Farm

When Kurt first heard of that "Exciting Ranch Plan," he didn't think it'd have any takers. Farms and ranches never appealed to him, but to his surprise, someone took the opportunity immediately.

Her name was Tina. A girl from the city, she wanted a change in scenery so she took the "Exciting Ranch Plan." Kurt hadn't the slightest idea why someone from the city would ever want to run a farm. Farms were messy, smelly, and hard to run, but so were cities. So maybe he did have a small idea as to why Tina wanted to run a farm.


	4. Warmth

IV. Warmth

Others often regarded Kurt as cold, silent, and occasionally rude, and he would never deny it because it's true. But like all truths, there's the smallest ounce of a lie in them. Very few people knew of his compassionate side, and those who did should consider themselves lucky. His brother Joe knew just the right thing to say to get that rare smile or, on an exceptionally good day, a laugh out of Kurt. Woody knew him long enough to know who he really is, and Dia just naturally brought out that side of him.

To those people, he's warm.


	5. Clouds

**This one is my personal favorite so far. I found it to be interesting...**

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><p>V. Clouds<p>

Clouds were something Kurt was never really interested in. They were too high up in the sky, making people foolishly believe they could reach them.

"They're deceiving balls of nothing but their own tears," Dia concluded on one of the rare days she'd be out of the Sanatorium. Kurt had nodded in agreement, not quite sure what she meant. Surely they were more than nothing, because what is nothing if it isn't something?

Sometimes Kurt felt like a cloud, just going through the motions of daily life without much thought of obscuring people's happiness.

He reasoned clouds were more human.


	6. Bells

VI. Bells

The sound of bells reminded Kurt of church, a place he hasn't been in a very long time. He wasn't a very big believer in the Harvest Goddess. Sure, he _did_ believe that she existed, but only to an extent. If she was trying so hard to protect the people of Leaf Valley, then why is Funland going to demolish it?

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of a bell coming from that new farmer, Toy's, farm. The animals reminded him of the Harvest Goddess's followers, following their leader with just the sound of those godforsaken bells.


	7. Love

VII. Love

That day, Kurt knew what he had to do. He was going to tell Dia he loved her.

He walked to the Sanatorium, his mind set on telling her how he felt. Gina greeted him as he entered, and he climbed the steps to Dia's room.

She hadn't noticed he was there until he spoke softly, telling her he made a brooch that matched her emerald eyes. Dia looked troubled, wondering why he had made her such a gift. Kurt paused, not quite knowing how to phrase his feelings.

"Because I…" A long pause followed. "I'm in love with you."


	8. Cold

VIII. Cold

Kurt had always been fond of the cold, which is why he always wore just a vest in wintertime. The cold reassured him of reality, something on which he didn't want to lose his grip. It wasn't even that his birthday was in winter; he just loved how the brisk air felt after an especially hard day at the workshop. Kurt was very unlike his brother in that respect, whereas Joe loved the summertime and despised the cold. It wasn't even that _his _birthday was in summertime. The two of them were polar-opposites, and Kurt was the cold one.


	9. Coffee

IX. Coffee

Kurt never worked long nights, which is why he never had the need for coffee. He wasn't exactly a morning person, but his body was already used to waking up at five thirty in the morning each day. And Woody had to make sure he and Joe were up and alert so their work was clean and efficient, not sloppy like it would be if the two of them were tired.

Coffee was bitter, a feeling Kurt had in the mornings. And sometimes not just in the mornings, either. Just like coffee, it takes a lot to make Kurt sweet.

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><p><strong>I'm not really proud of this one...I wrote it while waiting for food at a restaurant on my iPod.<strong>


	10. Gift

X. Gift

When Tina showed up at the Workshop on Winter 10, Kurt didn't think anything of it. He figured she needed an expansion, but no. She had this dopey smile on her face like she knew he never celebrated birthdays, which he didn't.

"Kurt! Happy birthday! It is your birthday, right?"

Kurt sighed. He hadn't celebrated his birthday in years.

"Yes. But I don't – "

"Just take it!" Tina shoved a small box at him before leaving.

He opened it then sighed again. He placed the herb tea and tomato in his room with all the various gifts Tina'd given him.


	11. Fire

**I have no plausible excuse for lack of updates.**

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><p>XI. Fire<p>

Fire offered light. Light is the reason why Kurt builds houses, because light even in the darkest of times is reassuring.

He watched the dancing flames of the bonfire with Tina, hosting the Fire Festival. It was for the lives of those lost at sea, and he figured that this light, even from so far away, must have been reassuring in the darkness of the ocean. but fire also brought about death, misery, and hell.

Kurt decided not to dwell on that as he stared at the restrained flames, reaching out and slowly blowing in the winter wind. If it were alive, it would be free.


	12. Marriage

XII. Marriage

Kurt was a very strong believer in the unity of two people's love. To him, it was a sacred bond that should never be broken. Despite this, he wasn't sure if he wanted it himself. He didn't know what it was like to be in love with someone, and such a change would be extremely foreign to him. And if there was one thing Kurt disliked, it was change. Everything would be so different if he someday got married; he'd live in a new house, have a new routine and many more responsibilities. Maybe someday he'd learn to love someone.


	13. Death

**As an avid thinker (and procrastinator), I hadn't the slightest idea of how to portray someone thinking about death. Which somewhat explains my writer's block and hiatus.**

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><p>XIII. Death<p>

Kurt didn't think he was afraid of dying. Or rather, he liked to _think_ he wasn't. Death was inevitable, he knew, and everyone in his family suffered it, if there even ever was an _everyone_ to suffer death. Occasionally he'll unconsciously wonder whether or not Woody's time is near because of the old man's forgetfulness, and if Leaf Valley was really going to be demolished, but he knows he should never think like that. Even when people do die, their memories are preserved and live on. So surely, no one actually ever dies.

Kurt preferred this conclusion over his first.


	14. Look Alike

XIV. Look-Alike

Never in Kurt's life has anyone ever told him he and his brother look alike. Apart from the brown eyes and brown hair, Kurt and Joe didn't look anything alike. Sure they _did_ look related, but more distantly like cousins. Kurt's hair pretty much defied gravity while Joe's hung flatly around his face, and his eyes were sharper than his brother's. Because of this, Kurt thought his looks were inimitable, though not in a conceited fashion. He just never saw anyone in his life that remotely resembled him, seeing as though he never knew his parents or any other relatives.


	15. Apple

XV. Apple

A young Kurt sat under an apple tree observing his surroundings while his older brother ran around with the other children. He had always been different that way; he was never quite as energetic as the other youths.

So there Kurt sat under the shade, unaware of Joe climbing the branches of the tree. Joe giggled mischievously, shaking a loose apple so it that would fall on his brother's head. He couldn't contain his laughter anymore, and Kurt looked up just in time –

SMACK!

And that is why Kurt always favored tomatoes over apples: because tomatoes didn't hurt as much.


	16. Life

XVI. Life

"Kurt! Joe! Woody! Someone! I think my animal's giving birth; get Hank!" Tina shrieked. Kurt jolted awake from her outburst and jumped out of bed.

"Get Hank!" Tina insisted.

When they arrived at Tina's barn, they could hear the cow's howling. Kurt watched as a tiny thing appeared under the cow, mildly disgusted. Tina looked sick to her stomach, but happy nonetheless as the calf fully came out of its mother's womb. Kurt let out a bated breath as Hank cleaned the thing. He felt like he witnessed a moment, however gross it was. It was the birth of life.


	17. Night

XVII. Night

_"I don't like nights with no moon or stars." _

Though Kurt would never admit it, he was somewhat afraid of the dark. The crickets rustling and the tide hugging the shore sounded more ominous when it was nighttime. He could hear the animals restlessly rustling in the grass. Everything sounded like those scary tales he was told by other children when he was young; that demons' senses became clear at night as they turned their heads away from the garish light of day.

The tiniest amount of light at night made Kurt feel safe, which was why he built houses.

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><p><strong>Extra brownie points for you if you get the reference I made in here :3 <strong>


	18. Children

XVIII. Children

Kurt secretly watched Tim as he scrounged for treasure to show off to his grandfather. Kurt pondered whether or not he ever had the same childish curiosity that Tim had.

When Kurt observed Meryl and how expertly she secluded herself from everyone, he figured that maybe not all children had that childish curiosity that Tim so well displayed. Maybe at one time Meryl did possess it, but something had caused the young girl to grow up too fast.

The minds of children could be so fragile yet so impassive. They either grow up too fast, or sometimes not at all.


	19. Sun

XIX. Sun

Dia loved the sun. Because she was confined to the Sanatorium, she cherished every minute the sun was out. On the contrary, Kurt himself wasn't exactly a sun person. He preferred the cool rain pounding on his back as he worked, rather than the heat of the sun pulsating down on him. The two tacit villagers were different in that respect.

Dia's silence was like the cool rain; it calmed him down like nothing else. In turn, Kurt's closeted optimism was like her sun on (gloomy) days. He would always be her sun, and she would always be his rain.


	20. Beach

**All right, so. The reason why I haven't been updating is because last month I had so much work to do despite it having been the last three weeks of school. Another reason is that I've been hanging around my friends a lot because we graduated on Sunday and I want to keep close to them over the summer, since we won't be together anymore. And for that reason I was becoming increasingly depressed because I don't want to grow up or leave my classmates because I just love them that much.**

**Yeah so enough of my life.**

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><p><strong><strong>XX. Beach

The beach was a tranquil place for Kurt. It offered him quietude like no other, though it was not actually quiet. The ocean waves drowned out even the sound of the crashing trees Kurt was so used to. It was a peaceful getaway - until Dan showed up.

Dan was a young man from a southern country. He was tan, had a funny accent, and was so loud even the ocean couldn't drown his voice in its current. Dan was the reason why Kurt rarely went to the beach anymore, because of his boisterous voice pestering Eve for a date.


	21. Harvest Festival

XXI. Harvest Festival

_"I'm always told by my boss to be thankful for the nature around me."_

The Harvest Festival was a time to give thanks for everything in nature. So of course Kurt and Joe must be thankful, as they would not have jobs if it weren't for the trees. And they were constantly given lectures from Woody on the importance for those "damn trees." So Kurt took this to heart, but nature was also both cruel and beautiful.

After all, trees did not take a very long time to fall; however, they took nearly a lifetime to grow.


	22. Afraid

XXII. Afraid

There weren't many things Kurt was afraid of, but if there was one thing. it'd have to be change.

Change was scary to him. It was too much to handle, so little room to adjust.

Uncomfortable.

Too many variations in his unvaried life.

Routine was safe. Though it meant living in monotony, Kurt liked it better than change. Routine was reassuring because he knew what came next, rather than the capricious instability of the unknown. It was too unpredictable, and Kurt was never one for surprises.

Nothing new turned up in his daily routine. He liked it that way.


	23. Hate

XXIII. Hate

Kurt didn't think of himself as a hateful person.

That is, until the Funland Company came along.

Who did they think they were, storming into the peaceful Leaf Valley and driving out its inhabitants? Sure. they had fancy suits and fancy clothes and fancy buildings, but like _that_ gave them the right to thoughtlessly demolish a whole village.

Kurt gripped hiss axe tightly in his hands. He stared long and hard at the too-large plank of wood he was to break, hate swelling up in his chest as he thought of the Funland Company.

_Who did they think they were?_


	24. Birth

XXIV. Birth

"Hey, Kurt?"

"Hm."

"Do you ever think of our parents?"

Kurt paused his work, then resumed. Joe never acknowledged their parents. When Kurt looked up, Joe had stopped his own work and was staring at the clouds, looking pensive. Melancholy, even.

The subject of their parents never was sensitive, but no one ever mentioned it, It was something no one ever spoke of, because what was there to speak about? It was almost as though it were taboo, and Kurt and Joe's origin was inexplicably nonexistent. Their parents were gone and that was all.

"...Not really."

"Alright...Just a thought."

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><p><strong>I always thought of Joe as the older brother. I'm not quite sure why; he just seemed more like the older brother type<strong>**.**

**On the HM wiki, it says Joe's the younger brother but it also says Kurt's the younger brother, which clearly doesn't' make sense.  
><strong>

**I just figured Joe was older because in STH he's twenty-two and Kurt's twenty-one.  
><strong>


	25. Farmer

XXV. Farmer

"Joe, Kurt, this is Tina. She's the new rancher down by Moonlight Beach."

Kurt watched as her large eyes flitted from him to Joe like a deer in headlights. Her childlike face turned up into a smile as she began her slight soliloquy.

"Hello! It's very nice meeting you. It's just great coming from the city to relax in a..."

Tina blabbered on about basically everything and nothing, even though she just met them. She was strangely a bit tired, as if she had the greatest responsibility in the world.

And perhaps she did, being a farmer and all.

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><p><strong>This was supposed to represent (most of) the villagers' lack of knowledge of the Harvest Goddess's actual existence. Kurt was thinking she was tired because she was a farmer and that came with many responsibilities. But she was tired because of the job bestowed upon her, saving the Harvest Goddess.<strong>


	26. Food

**So my laptop broke and I couldn't update.**

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><p>XXVI. Food<p>

Sustaining himself wasn't always what was on Kurt's mind. He never gave much thought to what he ate, unless it was something like tomatoes or related to the red crop. The culinary arts never appealed to him; he didn't care what he consumed as long as it was edible and would sustain him. Which was why Gwen found him so irritating and frustrating when it came to food.

Gwen deeply appreciated the culinary arts and loved serving others with her homemade food.

She and Kurt were contrary to each other when it came to fine cuisine, or just cuisine.


	27. Blushing

XXVII. Blushing

Kurt absolutely hated being embarrassed. It made him so uncomfortable, and not to mention vulnerable. Because he was the loner type, showing his feelings made him feel just a little bit terrified. The only exception was if he felt strongly for such a person; then he could feel comfortable with his feelings. Such people had the rare ability to make his face as red as the tomatoes which he loved so much, but such people were so very hard to find.

"Kurt? Are you alright? Your face is really red..." she asked, brown eyes showing concern.

"...Yeah, I think so."

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><p><strong>There will be a mixture of TinaxKurt chapters and DiaxKurt chapters.<strong>


	28. Sickness

**I wrote these next ones a long while ago; I just never had time or a computer to upload... And school just started today and my first day was terrible, so I don't know when I'll start writing these again.**

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><p>XXVIII. Sickness<p>

Dia was sick.

She was sick of being sick.

She was tired of being tired.

She was sick and tired of everything.

It made Kurt nervous to be around her at times like those. However, after a certain amount of time they'd pass. Sometimes they took days, weeks, rarely months, even more rarely, hours. Dia's moody countenance was the most fickle thing with which Kurt had ever dealt, but he never left her side.

He always listened to her when she spoke. Which was why he wondered how he could've missed her telling him that she was leaving.

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><p><strong>I recall in Magical Melody that if you don't ship herbs, Dia will leave. So this is basically her leaving in Kurt's POV.<strong>


	29. Fireworks

XXIX. Fireworks

Kurt watched in awe as fireworks burst in the sky, his young mind wondering how they operated. His brother Joe sat beside him while Gwen was to his left, and to her left Bob sat. the other three were, like Kurt, also engrossed in the fireworks, but Kurt liked to think they were not as focused on the bursts of sparks as he was.

So there Kurt sat with his brother, his friend, and his friend's friend. He watched with intuitive brown eyes as a burst of green filled the night sky, its spontaneity spreading across their young faces.

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><p><strong>It was always in my headcanon that Gwen was Kurt and Joe's cousin, and they all shared Woody as a grandfather. That Kurt and Joe's mother and Gwen's father were siblings...<strong>


	30. Trees

XXX. Trees

"Trees are essential beings," Woody began the speech that would begin Kurt and Joe's journey of craftmanship. Kurt listened with attentive ears while Joe toyed with the dirt beneath their feet, fairl uninterested in what Woody had to say.

"Trees are the reason you two are here right now, and the sole reason why I'm still here and my business is running." Woody continued on in his soliloquy, unaware of the fact that only one of his apprentices was listening.

Kurt watched, bemused, as Woody stared at his oblivious mentee.

Woody shook his head. "Ah, I fear for those trees..."


	31. Harvest Goddess

XXXI. Harvest Goddess

That farmer, Toy, was...perplexing. He didn't talk, nor did anyone know if he even had the capability of doing so. Despite that, Kurt didn't think he was mute. He supposed he just chose not to talk; moreover, he was able to communicate effectively like he did it his whole life.

Sometimes Kurt would see him going off to the Goddess Pond, and it was odd to him because he figured no one ever went there. Was it possible that Toy believed in the Harvest Goddess?

Toy caught Kurt's eye and he hurriedly looked away.

He seemed so all-knowing.

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><p><strong>I apologize for any mistakes. I'm real tired but I wanted to put some more up.<strong>


	32. Books

XXXII. Books

"What are you reading?" Kurt asked, leaning over Dia's shoulder.

"The usual." she answered, and he knew not to disturb her. Dia got so carried away in her novels that she'd forget he was there.

Kurt sat there, absorbing his surroundings and wondering if she as doing the same in her little world. Dia had such a fascinating imagination; he questioned how she never got lost in it. Kurt doubted he ever wandered far enough in his mind to reach hers, and he wasn't quite sure he'd try. It was her private place. He couldn't pervade it if he tried.


	33. Necklace

XXXIII. Necklace

Kurt noticed that Gwen always wore that necklace of hers. Even when she wen horse-riding she never took it off.

Except for that one time she lost it.

They were young. Gwen had gone to do some dirty work, and when she came back, Kurt, Joe, and Woody heard crashes and things being shoved onto the floor.

"I lost my necklace!" she yelled. Or to Kurt, she shrieked.

The four of them searched and searched for that beloved necklace, but to no avail.

"Damnit, it was around my neck the whole time!" she laughed, and Kurt shook his tired head.

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><p><strong>This takes place approximately around their early-teens or somewhere around that time.<strong>


	34. Serenity

XXXIV. Serenity

The rain seemed endless.

It had been raining for three days straight now, and Kurt wasn't sure if it would ever stop. The perpetual pitter-patter of raindrops was constant, but it didn't bother him. He rather enjoyed it as he walked the cobblestone paths of the village.

He walked, and he walked, and he walked.

The rain followed him as a not-so-silent companion, but it was inexplicably comforting.

When he arrived back at the (closed) Workshop, dripping wet and shoes squeaking quite noisily, he paid no mind to the fact that the previous day's work was left unfinished and untouched.


	35. So What?

XXXV. So What?

"You've got to be more approachable, Kurt. How are you going to interact with others when we're older?" Joe asked his younger brother, who indignantly turned away. Kurt absolutely hated when Joe lectured him on his less than satisfactory social skills. It wasn't that he couldn't interact with others; he chose not to.

"I can't always speak for you, Kurt. You've gotta learn how - "

"Shut _up_, Joe." he replie, or more like snarled. So what if he wasn't as gifted as his brother at interacting with people? If he didn't want to talk, Joe couldn't and wouldn't force him.

_So what?_


	36. Marathon

XXXVI. Marathon

Being with Tina was like being in the same room as a TV you couldn't turn off. That girl _never_ shut her big mouth, at least when she was with Katie. Even though she was somewhat quieter around Kurt, she still liked to blabber on about her day. And Kurt didn't have the heart not to listen to her ramblings because she really was a sensitive girl. If he didn't listen, she would be deeply hurt.

So Kurt was left to listen to an excruciatingly long marathon of Flower Bud's latest gossip, wishing he could turn this never-ending program off.


	37. Quietude

XXXVII. Quietude

Joe tossed and turned in his bed while his brother lied down on his calmly.

"Goddess, it's so quiet here. It's so unnerving...how're you holding up, Kurt?" he asked. Kurt sighed softly.

"I'm good. I like the quietness. It's very soothing."

"It's so creepy..." Joe trailed off, struggling with his uncomfortable disquiet.

Kurt listened as his brother's breaths grew slower and calmer until he was sure Joe was asleep. He could finally bask in the pleasure that was the ever-valuable quietude. His thoughts drifted to Joe, to Gwen, to Dia, to Woody until sleep and tranquility finally overtook him.


	38. Flower

XXXVIII. Flower

It was the loveliest thing Kurt had ever seen.

"Lyla, it's...beautiful."

"Thank you, Kurt. That really means a lot to me."

The petals were velvety smooth, the color white like an angel's cloak.

All of the flowers in Lyla's garden were so diverse, yet they all had one thing in common: their beauty. Kurt admired the bluest of blues, the reddest of reds, greenest of greens. The colors all mingled together in compatibility and incompatibility, coming together in such strange ways.

Flowers were beautiful as any could be coupled altogether in harmony, and still be pleasing to the eye.


	39. Light

XXXIX. Light

It was a stormy day when Kurt was born. The night was cold and one-and-a-half-year-old Joe could barely handle temperatures that low.

"I-is Joe o-okay?"

"He'll b-be f-fine, sweetheart. D-don't stress yourself o-out."

"O-ok, good—ow! Ah, that hurts!"

"Just wait a little longer, we're almost there!"

They named him Kurt for no significant reason other than the fact that she liked it. He was not one to argue, nor did he have any opposition to the name.

The baby resembled his mother, contrary to his brother. Features somewhat akin to those of an elf, his face lit up.


	40. Spring

XL. Spring

"Kurt, stop frowning or your face will stay like that."

Woody's remark caused Kurt's frown to deepen, irritation crawling into the young adolescent's veins. The crease between his eyebrows never seemed to lighten as he progressed further into the consubstantial world of woe and hormones. Joe watched him from a year ahead as a beacon of light for his brother, but that didn't seem to be enough. Fed up with something he couldn't identify (his thoughts), Kurt slammed his hands on the table, stomping away in that flawless manner all teenagers did. It was something they all had in common.


	41. Turmoil

XLI. Turmoil

He silently observed (stalked) her, inwardly arguing with himself on why he was even doing so. The last relationship he'd had started like this and ended not too well. There was that old saying—if you don't study history, you're bound to repeat it. Kurt had studied his relationship history (rather, the history of his ONLY relationship) and found that it ended badly, yet here he was, doing the same exact thing he'd done with the previous girl.

"Kurt, what are you doing on my farm?" Tina asked.

_She_ hadn't said anything about it, so maybe he wasn't repeating history?


	42. Pumpkin

XLII. Pumpkin

Pumpkin lolled around in the autumn leaves in all his brown-furred glory, messing up Tina's hard work. However, she didn't seem to mind as she herself joined her dog in his frolicking. Tina had continually asked Kurt to join them in their wreckage of non-profitable work, but he wasn't one to do things without purpose.

So she resumed playing with Pumpkin, named for her favorite season and flavor of pie. He watched silently from under a tree as he always had, somewhat like an ironic saint.

It was a while before he felt a warm tongue pressed to his hand.


	43. Annoying

XLIII. Annoying

The people here were overbearing.

It was an irritating fact to Kurt that these people in this tiny village harbored no regrets, no qualms, no second guesses. Almost as though they weren't human, with how little they seemed to think negatively of anything. However, being haunted by foster care probably formulated this cynical idea in his head that people were evil. For a long time he and Joe were on their own, just the two of them against the world, until Woody came and took them in as apprentices. Kurt hadn't known warmth, but Joe was always searching for it.


	44. Nothing

**I wrote this after what feels like forever since I updated as a result of stress. I have literally been working on this stupid project for AP World History for the past two days and I'm not even halfway done and it's due on Tuesday. On top of that I hate my teacher and I'm just SO STRESSED UGGGHHH**

**This is what happens when you take AP WH.**

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><p><strong><strong>XLIV. Nothing

Nothing is what he felt before they met.

Nothing is what he feels when _she's_ gone.

Nothing is his existence after _she_ leaves him; _she_ departs without anything: nothing.

Nothing is what _she_ isn't, though he sometimes wishes _she_ was.

In the absence of everything, there is nothing.

In the absence of _her_, there is nothing.

Another comes along; she's anything but nothing.

Yet he doesn't feel anything but nothing.

She does not mind when he says nothing because she says everything but nothing.

Nothing scares her because nothing invaded her life way in the past.

Nothing will always find you.


	45. Stuffed Animal

VL. Stuffed Animal

The annoying red-eyed girl had both a stuffed horse and a real one. Kurt had touched the stuffed one, Pato, just to feel it, as he had never had anything soft to hold. To his surprise, it was rather rough and worn, but then Gwen took it with her everywhere so maybe it wasn't such a surprise.

"Hey! Don't touch Pato!" she yelled, snatching the stuffed animal.

"I don't know why you like it so much. It's worthless," Kurt replied, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows.

Gwen glared, hugging Pato even closer to her than before.


	46. Worms

XLVI. Worms

Kurt watched with half-hearted interest as Joe placed a worm on his fishhook, making sure it was secure.

"Now you gotta carefully place it in the water, see?"

"Hmm," Kurt nodded just to appease his brother.

"And now we wait!"

Kurt sat down on the damp ground by the lake's edge, taking the can of worms. They wriggled and squirmed inside their confinement, vain attempts at escaping. One accomplished its goal of reaching the rim only to fall back into the other worms.

He sighed, setting aside the can.

"Whoa! Kurt, did you see that?" Joe cried.

"Huh? See what?"

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><p><strong>Oops ignore the Roman numeral in the last chapter I did it wrong. It should be XLV<strong>


	47. Fantasy

**Sigh...I wish I weren't too far into this to restart because I want to write in chronological order. Oh well.**

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><p>XLVII. Fantasy<p>

"I'm rather fond of that book." Maria smiled wistfully, tugging at her well-worn turtleneck.

Kurt hummed acknowledgment, awkwardly toying with the frayed ends of the hardcover anthology. He'd searched blindly for any literary work that seemed promising; he wondered what Maria had thought while reading this novel, as she most likely plowed through every single book in the building.

"Some of the stories are quite dismal, but I think you'll find them enjoyable." She inspected the book with careful, wise hands before handing it back to Kurt.

Maria smiled, and he thought maybe he should visit the library more often.


	48. Name

XLVIII. Name

"I came only with a name and a brother, neither of which could really get us money."

"I came with money and the clothes on my back, neither of which could give me companionship."

"If that's only what you're looking for, then you must be pretty frivolous."

"Kurt, I'm sorry you don't have the capacity to appreciate the small things in life."

"I'm sorry you were fortunate enough to appreciate the small—and useless—things."

"You're such a downer."

"Sorry, Tina. I'll stop with the labels."

"You'd better or I won't talk to you for the rest of the day!"


	49. Harvest Sprites

XLIX. Harvest Sprites

"That's odd..."

"...Strange, elfin anomalies."

"Servants to the Harvest Goddess!"

Kurt sighed as he walked through the village square, lightly perturbed by the discussion of some strange elf sighting over by the mountains. He shortly recalled Dia reading something about the Arcadian mythology of the area, though shook it off as nothing more than children's tales.

"Joe. Do you really believe in any of this?" he asked as he took a seat on a nearby bench.

Joe shrugged. "I don't know. But I think Tina knows something 'cause she's just sitting there like nothing's happened; why don't I ask her?"

* * *

><p><strong>I should probably get started on that five-page art essay that's due tomorrow...nah.<strong>


	50. Winter

L. Winter

Basil was an odd fellow, coming and going at regular intervals and never sticking around for winter. His constant schedule almost made Kurt feel a bit sorry for Nina, who so obviously fancied Basil.

Kurt woke early on the first day of winter to see a young man wearing a telltale green hat in the distance, presumably walking toward the other end of Flower Bud. He exited in only his vest and cargo pants, silently observing as Basil trudged on worn-out paths. Glancing toward the Spring Farm, Kurt briefly saw a shadow in the window, another spectator of yearly exits.


	51. Animals

LI. Animals

Despite her talkativeness, Kurt was rather thankful that Tina was his friend.

After all, she was someone to talk to about his odd fascination with Basil's departures and Nina's curious reactions.

"She definitely likes him," Tina said, brushing a very annoyed mare.

Kurt let out a tired breath. "I don't get people."

He looks up when he hears a quiet giggle. She's smiling at her upset horse, not appearing to have noticed its annoyance.

"I hear you. That's why I love animals because they're so—AGGH!"

A laugh bubbles out of his throat as Tina falls into a water trough.


	52. Mermaid

LII. Mermaid

"There's a book I read that was exceptionally tasteful. I highly recommend it to you, Kurt." Dia treads lightly on her feet, a somewhat mystical presence in the worn-out town.

"What was it about?" Kurt asks in a casual tone. This is his job, to listen as entertainment.

"Mermaids," she replies. Her delicate, dainty fingertips brush against surfaces of wood and tree bark.

"What about mermaids?" Unlike Dia, Kurt was never one for mythological fiction. His preference lied with philosophy, pondering on the life he lived.

"Her name was Celestine. She, an anomaly amongst her species, was not very beautiful..."


	53. Princess

LIII. Princess

"Hi Kurt!"

"...Hi."

Katie grinned, accentuating her young face. She toyed with the hem of her sleeves with her foot crossed behind the other, poised in somewhat of a curtsy.

"Are you, uh, looking for Joe?" For some reason, he didn't feel exceedingly awkward around her, though it was probably her constant presence at the Workshop.

"I am." Katie let out a sigh, leaning against the wall. "He's just so irresponsible and forgetful sometimes..." She surprised Kurt with the maturity and tiredness in her voice; maybe she wasn't a child or a spoiled princess after all, contrary to his belief.


	54. Sleep

LIV. Sleep

There lied a strange sense of comfort in the form of the villagers, a feeling that which remained unfamiliar to Kurt until now.

It's not like anyone would miss Woody's funeral, but the man Kurt saw as a parental figure had never been much of a people-person himself. Gwen stood rigidly at his side, trying to stay strong. _"For who?"_ Kurt couldn't help but think. Joe stared down at his folded hands, his starred bandana absent. Most of the villagers' eyes were on Woody's "trio", three young adults finally on their own as their guardian inevitably succumbed to sleep.

Forever.


	55. Town

LV. Town

Days after were never enjoyable ones. An omnipresent sense of quiet spread throughout Flower Bud in the days following Woody's death. Shadows casted under no one's eyes but Gwen's, Joe's, and Kurt's. How could they, when someone from their ideal little town suddenly died, revealing depth and reality to its inhabitants? Kurt, who had grown so accustomed and likened to silence, found himself dreading it with every still second that passed in the Workshop.

The streets stayed ominous and empty, the villagers terrified to say anything out of line. Kurt grew increasingly bitter, his cutting tone now stabbing.

Tick. Tock.


	56. Fish

LVI. Fish

Cast.

Reel.

Cast.

Reel.

There was something comforting in the repetitive motions; Kurt didn't understand it, however. Joe busied himself with fishing, leaving early in the morning and returning in the late afternoon. Perhaps he'd grown skilled while Kurt wasn't paying attention, though Joe's downcast expression told otherwise.

Kurt waited unconsciously for the melancholia to pass, mining time away in the mines. Always was there something new to discover in nature's opulence.

Weeks after, once again resurfacing from waters of anguish, he found simplicity in the form of Gwen and Joe's banter, a sign of things going back to normal.


	57. Challenge

LVII. Challenge

"Dammit," Kurt muttered as he made his way through Flower Bud's mountainous region. "Where the hell is she?"

After several hours of searching for the wayward farmer, he finally spotted her in the distance, coming from the so-called Goddess Spring. There was dirt on her face and her pigtails had come undone, but she still radiated energy, enough to make him question how that was even possible.

Tina grinned. "I finally did it!" She puffed her chest out with her hands resting on her hips, a triumphant pose for a triumphant girl.

"Did what?"

"Oh, nothing. No one would know."


	58. Gold

LVIII. Gold

He searched and searched and searched, his mind set on earning praise from his "foster father". Kurt wanted to live his halcyon days, or rather the time period in his life where he'd reach the acme of his existence.

Case in point, he just wanted to make Woody proud.

There was something enticing about spelunking, though Woody wouldn't allow it between lectures. Kurt, frustrated by his lost chances, decided to search for something in the forests, something golden.

The days ended and Woody remained indifferent toward everything, until one day he told the eight-year-old,

"All that glitters is not gold."


	59. Mines

LIX. Mines

He inwardly argues with himself as to why he's here, fruitless attempts to convince himself that he's not falling in love _again_.

But the aquamarine...

It's so inexplicably _her._

So Kurt has to, simply because Tina is Tina and the color of aquamarine fits her so well. Or maybe it doesn't, but it reminds him of her so everything's ok.

When he comes to knock on her door first thing in the morning because his priorities are always straightened out, his feet suddenly grow as cold as the color of aquamarine, but Tina's answering smile makes his embarrassment worth it.


	60. Starry Night Festival

LX. Starry Night Festival

"I came here once, a while ago. With Dia." His hands grip the insides of his pockets, his mind elsewhere.

Tina doesn't mind his statement, or maybe she just hides it well. Meanwhile, Kurt tries to figure out why he's so drawn to enigmatic girls, though he's coming up empty of answers and revelations.

It's a cold night. His companion has goosebumps riddled across her arms; the cold air ghosts and glides throughout the land. Tina remains silent, leaning over the ancient fence. Kurt does the same, though he can't ignore the creaking and lack of maintenance it displays.

They kiss, then, and perhaps love really is inevitable after all.


	61. Ore

LXI. Ore

"Hey, Kurt!"

He looks up, and shining black eyes are staring back at him. "Hm?"

Tim holds a rock out to Kurt, a hopeful expression upon his face. "This isn't a junk ore, is it?"

Kurt carefully takes it and holds it close to his face inspecting it with unprofessional expertise. Luckily for Tim, he's found an iron ore, the first of the boy's findings that isn't trash.

"Here. It's an iron ore."

"Yes! I can't wait to show Bob and Gramps! Thank you, Kurt!"

Tim runs off, a spring in his step.

"Yeah. Anytime, kid."

Surprisingly, he means it.


	62. Shop

LXII. Shop

He could feel Lyla's curious stare toward him in spite of his efforts to ignore it. After all, it was not every day that he decided to turn up at Hearty Lyla.

It was a cute little gift shop at the very edge of town, made entirely in a rundown shed. Kurt was rather impressed by how much Lyla fixed it up, and even converted part of it into a tiny living space.

"Are you shopping for anyone in particular, Kurt?" she asked, causing Kurt to flinch slightly.

A betraying blush rose on his face. "I—no, no I'm not."


	63. Blue Feather

LXIII. Blue Feather

Kurt was surprised when it happened, but then again he was never one for these scenes. Everyone who didn't frequent the Moonlight Bar stood around rather awkwardly in the wake of could-bes and would-nots.

The most astonishing thing about it all was that this was Dan who was proposing marriage.

If Kurt were to be blunt, which he is, then he isn't nonplussed Eve rejected Dan. Of course she didn't do so without reason, because Eve was never one to play with people's feelings.

It made Kurt wonder why bother with love if all you got was a stern scolding.


	64. Clothes

LXIV. Clothes

Flower Bud wasn't very big in the textile industry, as no one really owned more than a couple of outfits. Having more clothes would just add to their workload and take from their slow-paced lifestyle, and only Martha and Gina knew how to actually make clothing. It was either hand-me-downs or make it yourself, and most people chose the former.

Woody's old sweatband lay unused and waiting on Kurt's bedside table, one of various trinkets he'd earned from his will. The green was faded by sweat and sunshine, the fabric rough and worn.

After some consideration, Kurt pulled it on.

* * *

><p><strong>the news of connect to the new land brought me back to the HM fandom. also, this chapter has been sitting around in the notes on my phone since july, and only now did i discover it.<strong>


	65. Eyes

LXV. Eyes

"Do you ever feel like you're not seeing things the way other people do?"

Tina leaned over the bridge, allowing her arms to hang languidly over the edge. Her eyes glowed in the light of the river, reflecting its rushing surface.

Kurt watched the river meet the ocean in an estuary. Perhaps, like Tina, the water reflected in his eyes, also.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Tina, for once, was quiet. Her pensive visage made him wonder what exactly she saw in the horizon. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, turning away from the sun.

It was blinding.


	66. Sky

LXVI. Sky

For the first time since Woody's funeral, it rained.

It was probably due to some horrible irony that the only ones caught under its wrath were Kurt, Joe, and Gwen, though if one were to take one look at them, the situation was anything but coincidental.

Kurt shivered as a particularly frigid gust of wind surged past them, regretting his usual attire. Looking up, the sky was gray and the clouds unrelenting. Out of his periphery, Gwen bowed her head and wrapped her arms about herself. Joe placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, though Gwen quickly brushed it off, slinging her strong arms around his and Kurt's waists.

* * *

><p><strong>If you can't already tell, I love the idea of the three of them having this really strong sibling complex.<strong>


	67. Nature

LXVII. Nature

Basil was back.

Kurt, ever the early riser, saw the man clad in green make his way to the lake. It was already summer, much later than Basil usually returned.

"Don't you find it strange?" said Kurt, squinting through the blurry window.

"Well, on the contrary, I think it's kinda sweet." Gwen grinned a little as she cracked several eggs for breakfast.

"What's going on?" Kurt frowned; he was sure Tina had told him everything that went on in Flower Bud. What could he have missed?

Gwen shoved newly cooked food in his face. "He and Nina are getting married!"


End file.
